Ian Bayley

Tenodesis of the long head of biceps brachii in the painful shoulder: Improving results in the long term

Fifteen shoulders of 14 patients with a keyhole tenodesis of the long head of the biceps were reviewed at an average follow-up of 7 years (3 years, 1 month to 13 years, 2 months). In 13 cases additional shoulder disease was noted during the operation. Eight patients had undergone rotator cuff decompression before the reference biceps tenodesis was performed. Eight (53%) cases achieved an excellent result; one was rated as good, four were rated as fair, and two had failures. Seven shoulders had an improved result from short to long term, and only two deteriorated. An upward migration of the humeral head on x-ray evaluation was noted but was without clinical significance. A local anesthetic test to the long head of the biceps before the operation seemed to be valuable in assessing chances of a good long-term result.

The role of imaging in the diagnosis and management of thoracolumbar burst fractures: current concepts and a review of the literature.

Abstract The burst fracture of the spine was first described by Holdsworth in 1963 and redefined by Denis in 1983 as being a fracture of the anterior and middle columns of the spine with or without an associated posterior column fracture. This injury has received much attention in the literature as regards its radiological diagnosis and also its clinical managment. The purpose of this article is to review the way that imaging has been used both to diagnose the injury and to guide management. Current concepts of the stability of this fracture are presented and our experience in the use of magnetic resonance imaging in deciding treatment options is discussed.

Prosthetic replacement of shoulder joint: preliminary communication.

Although Jules Emile Pean is recorded as having performed the first total prosthetic replacement of the shoulder as long ago as 1891 (Pean 1894), the modern era of shoulder replacement is no more than ten years old and has been pioneered by Neer in New York, and Lettin in London (Neer 1973, 1974,Lettin & Scales 1973). A prosthetic replacement which is basically an imitation of the normal anatomy of the glenohumeral joint was devised and a vast array of similar prostheses have since been tried.

Validation of the Stanmore percentage of normal shoulder assessment.

Background and Purpose: The Stanmore Percentage of Normal Shoulder Assessment (SPONSA) is a patient-reported outcome measure (PROM). The score assesses pain, range of movement, strength, stability and function of the shoulder. The aim of this work was to formally validate the SPONSA. Materials and Methods: Validation of this score was carried out by measuring reproducibility, construct validity and sensitivity to change. Time to completion was also recorded. The Oxford Shoulder Score (OSS) and Constant Score (CS) were used for comparison. These assessments were performed with 61 individuals undergoing shoulder interventions. Results: There was excellent preoperative reproducibility in both intra- and inter-observer groups. The SPONSA had a 0.79 correlation with the OSS and 0.78 with the CS. The overall effect size of the SPONSA was 0.72, which was comparable to OSS (0.65) and greater than CS (0.34), implying equal or better sensitivity to change. Conclusions: The SPONSA is practical and quick to perform and also a reproducible and a sensitive instrument. This simple PROM is a commendable addition to the existing validated scoring methods for the shoulder. Level of Evidence: I; testing of previously developed diagnostic criteria on consecutive patients (with universally applied reference “gold” standard).

Failed surgery for recurrent anterior dislocation of the shoulder. Causes and management

We have reviewed 36 patients who had recurrent anterior dislocation of the shoulder after a previous anterior repair and analysed the various causes of failure. It was found that failure could have been avoided in virtually all of the patients by correct pre-operative diagnosis, selection of the appropriate operation and its proper execution. The further management of these patients is described and suggestions are made as to means of reducing the incidence of failure after primary operation.

Muscle activation patterns in patients with recurrent shoulder instability

Purpose: The aim of this study is to present muscle patterns observed with the direction of instability in a series of patients presenting with recurrent shoulder instability. Materials and Methods: A retrospective review was carried out on shoulder instability cases referred for fine wire dynamic electromyography (DEMG) studies at a specialist upper limb centre between 1981 and 2003. An experienced consultant clinical neurophysiologist performed dual needle insertion into four muscles (pectoralis major (PM), latissimus dorsi (LD), anterior deltoid (AD) and infraspinatus (IS)) in shoulders that were suspected to have increased or suppressed activation of muscles that could be contributing to the instability. Raw EMG signals were obtained while subjects performed simple uniplanar movements of the shoulder. The presence or absence of muscle activation was noted and compared to clinical diagnosis and direction of instability. Results: A total of 140 (26.6%) shoulders were referred for fine wire EMG, and 131 studies were completed. Of the shoulders tested, 122 shoulders (93%) were identified as having abnormal patterns and nine had normal patterns. PM was found to be more active in 60% of shoulders presenting with anterior instability. LD was found to be more active in 81% of shoulders with anterior instability and 80% with posterior instability. AD was found to be more active in 22% of shoulders with anterior instability and 18% with posterior instability. IS was found to be inappropriately inactive in only 3% of shoulders with anterior instability but in 25% with posterior instability. Clinical assessment identified 93% of cases suspected to have muscle patterning, but the specificity of the clinical assessment was only correct in 11% of cases. Conclusion: The DEMG results suggest that increased activation of LD may play a role in both anterior and posterior shoulder instability; increased activation of PM may play a role in anterior instability.

Management of peri-prosthetic fracture of the humerus with severe bone loss and loosening of the humeral component after total shoulder replacement

There is little information about the management of peri-prosthetic fracture of the humerus after total shoulder replacement (TSR). This is a retrospective review of 22 patients who underwent a revision of their original shoulder replacement for peri-prosthetic fracture of the humerus with bone loss and/or loose components. There were 20 women and two men with a mean age of 75 years (61 to 90) and a mean follow-up 42 months (12 to 91): 16 of these had undergone a previous revision TSR. Of the 22 patients, 12 were treated with a long-stemmed humeral component that bypassed the fracture. All their fractures united after a mean of 27 weeks (13 to 94). Eight patients underwent resection of the proximal humerus with endoprosthetic replacement to the level of the fracture. Two patients were managed with a clam-shell prosthesis that retained the original components. The mean Oxford shoulder score (OSS) of the original TSRs before peri-prosthetic fracture was 33 (14 to 48). The mean OSS after revision for fracture was 25 (9 to 31). Kaplan-Meier survival using re-intervention for any reason as the endpoint was 91% (95% confidence interval (CI) 68 to 98) and 60% (95% CI 30 to 80) at one and five years, respectively. There were two revisions for dislocation of the humeral head, one open reduction for modular humeral component dissociation, one internal fixation for nonunion, one trimming of a prominent screw and one re-cementation for aseptic loosening complicated by infection, ultimately requiring excision arthroplasty. Two patients sustained nerve palsies. Revision TSR after a peri-prosthetic humeral fracture associated with bone loss and/or loose components is a salvage procedure that can provide a stable platform for elbow and hand function. Good rates of union can be achieved using a stem that bypasses the fracture. There is a high rate of complications and function is not as good as with the original replacement.

The outcome of scapulothoracic fusion for painful winging of the scapula in dystrophic and non-dystrophic conditions

Scapulothoracic fusion (STF) for painful winging of the scapula in neuromuscular disorders can provide effective pain relief and functional improvement, but there is little information comparing outcomes between patients with dystrophic and non-dystrophic conditions. We performed a retrospective review of 42 STFs in 34 patients with dystrophic and non-dystrophic conditions using a multifilament trans-scapular, subcostal cable technique supported by a dorsal one-third semi-tubular plate. There were 16 males and 18 females with a mean age of 30 years (15 to 75) and a mean follow-up of 5.0 years (2.0 to 10.6). The mean Oxford shoulder score improved from 20 (4 to 39) to 31 (4 to 48). Patients with non-dystrophic conditions had lower overall functional scores but achieved greater improvements following STF. The mean active forward elevation increased from 59° (20° to 90°) to 97° (30° to 150°), and abduction from 51° (10° to 90°) to 83° (30° to 130°) with a greater range of movement achieved in the dystrophic group. Revision fusion for nonunion was undertaken in five patients at a mean time of 17 months (7 to 31) and two required revision for fracture. There were three pneumothoraces, two rib fractures, three pleural effusions and six nonunions. The main risk factors for nonunion were smoking, age and previous shoulder girdle surgery. STF is a salvage procedure that can provide good patient satisfaction in 82% of patients with both dystrophic and non-dystrophic pathologies, but there was a relatively high failure rate (26%) when poor outcomes were analysed. Overall function was better in patients with dystrophic conditions which correlated with better range of movement; however, patients with non-dystrophic conditions achieved greater functional improvement.

Complex shoulder arthroplasty in patients with skeletal dysplasia can decrease pain and improve function

BACKGROUND Patients with skeletal dysplasia are prone to the development of degenerative shoulder disease requiring shoulder arthroplasty at a younger age than in the general population. To date there have been no published reports on the complexities or outcome of shoulder arthroplasty in this unique patient group. METHODS This is a review of 13 shoulder arthroplasties in 10 patients with skeletal dysplasia with mean follow-up of 7 years (2-17.6 years). There were 4 men and 6 women with a mean age of 53.1 years (23-76 years), mean height of 148 cm (122-177 cm), and mean weight of 60 kg (27-80 kg). RESULTS The mean Oxford Shoulder Score increased from 13 (5-20) preoperatively to 28 (18-38) at final follow-up. Patients improved significantly in 2 of 8 Short Form 36 health-related quality of life domains: physical function (P = .04) and bodily pain (P = .04). Function was better in those who underwent nonconstrained total shoulder arthroplasty as opposed to hemiarthroplasty. Four (31%) required reoperation: 1 excision of heterotopic ossification, 1 relocation for anterior instability, and 2 revisions for periprosthetic fracture and glenoid erosion. CONCLUSION Shoulder arthroplasty is effective at relieving pain, optimizing movement, and improving function for patients with skeletal dysplasia; however, compared with the general population, there is a higher complication rate and function is not as good. Furthermore, this procedure is less effective at restoring health-related quality of life than total hip arthroplasty or total shoulder arthroplasty performed for osteoarthritis in the general population. Custom implants may be required to compensate for short stature and rotator cuff and glenoid deficiency.

Glenohumeral arthrodesis for the treatment of recurrent shoulder instability in epileptic patients

We report our experience with glenohumeral arthrodesis as a salvage procedure for epilepsy-related recurrent shoulder instability. A total of six patients with epilepsy underwent shoulder fusion for recurrent instability and were followed up for a mean of 39 months (12 to 79). The mean age at the time of surgery was 31 years (22 to 38). Arthrodesis was performed after a mean of four previous stabilisation attempts (0 to 11) in all but one patient in whom the procedure was used as a primary treatment. All patients achieved bony union, with a mean time to fusion of 2.8 months (2 to 7). There were no cases of re-dislocation. One revision was undertaken for loosening of the metalwork, and then healed satisfactorily. An increase was noted in the mean subjective shoulder value, which improved from 37 (5 to 50) pre-operatively to 42 (20 to 70) post-operatively although it decreased in two patients. The mean Oxford shoulder instability score improved from 13 pre-operatively (7 to 21) to 24 post-operatively (13 to 36). In our series, glenohumeral arthrodesis eliminated recurrent instability and improved functional outcome. Fusion surgery should therefore be considered in this patient population. However, since the majority of patients are young and active, they should be comprehensively counselled pre-operatively given the functional deficit that results from the procedure.